The massacre at a Connecticut elementary school turned a safe haven into a crime scene when 20 children and six adults were killed in a single day last year.One year later, even the youngest of lives in Maryland remain changed with students still adjusting in a changing world.Mobile users tap here for video.Mixed in the shuffle at Edgewater's South River High School are emotions."It's the elephant in the room and you can't really avoid it," Junior Jeff Hirata said.The elephant is mass shootings, from the Navy Yard to schools, and this time last year, it was Sandy Hook Elementary."It definitely was a wake-up call that things like this do happen," sophomore Kevin Keegan said.The students looked back to the Newtown, Conn., massacre and the months that have followed."I was traumatized. I was like, 'How could someone do that?' I was very, very upset and then, I got scared afterwards like, 'Someone could do this to us,'" junior Aaron Anthony said.Schools across the country have tightened security. A shooting at Perry Hall High in August 2012 brought more cameras and ID scans for every visitor."To know that, for people to come into our school -- even our parents -- to have to be so thoroughly checked is kind of scary," junior Katie Seaberg said.Combating that fear is the fight to maintain a routine."That predictability for kids is really important, in terms of really maintaining their sense of emotional security and decreasing their sense of vulnerability," said Dr. Kellie Anderson, the school's psychologist. "We try to guard against being jaded about it and accepting that this is a part of what's going to happen in today's society, and we really try to keep in our minds on how hard we have to work to keep it from happening ever again."It has become the new normal among friends and parents."Every time I'm at school, like every second, like every time I'm leaving the building I call them and tell them where I am," freshman Kruthika Kumar said."I proceed with a little more caution and prepare for the worst but hope for the best, but you can never really be the same," Hirata said.

EDGEWATER, Md. —

The massacre at a Connecticut elementary school turned a safe haven into a crime scene when 20 children and six adults were killed in a single day last year.

One year later, even the youngest of lives in Maryland remain changed with students still adjusting in a changing world.

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Mixed in the shuffle at Edgewater's South River High School are emotions.

"It's the elephant in the room and you can't really avoid it," Junior Jeff Hirata said.

The elephant is mass shootings, from the Navy Yard to schools, and this time last year, it was Sandy Hook Elementary.

"It definitely was a wake-up call that things like this do happen," sophomore Kevin Keegan said.

The students looked back to the Newtown, Conn., massacre and the months that have followed.

"I was traumatized. I was like, 'How could someone do that?' I was very, very upset and then, I got scared afterwards like, 'Someone could do this to us,'" junior Aaron Anthony said.

Schools across the country have tightened security. A shooting at Perry Hall High in August 2012 brought more cameras and ID scans for every visitor.

"To know that, for people to come into our school -- even our parents -- to have to be so thoroughly checked is kind of scary," junior Katie Seaberg said.

Combating that fear is the fight to maintain a routine.

"That predictability for kids is really important, in terms of really maintaining their sense of emotional security and decreasing their sense of vulnerability," said Dr. Kellie Anderson, the school's psychologist. "We try to guard against being jaded about it and accepting that this is a part of what's going to happen in today's society, and we really try to keep in our minds on how hard we have to work to keep it from happening ever again."

It has become the new normal among friends and parents.

"Every time I'm at school, like every second, like every time I'm leaving the building I call them and tell them where I am," freshman Kruthika Kumar said.

"I proceed with a little more caution and prepare for the worst but hope for the best, but you can never really be the same," Hirata said.